by Theodore Wiesehan

    Phyllis Slaybaum and Marilyn Trofholz are comfortable in Seward, but a little out of their element.
     The women are two of the 20 York General Hearthstone residents living temporarily at Anna Sundermann Homes following a June 22 fire at the York care center.
     "They've treated us like royalty," Slaybaum said of the Sundermann staff.
     "Within three hours they had TVs in from the hospital," Trofholz added, "and the food is delicious."
     Lightning struck Hearthstone's roof at approximately 1:40 a.m. on June 22, sparking a fire in the building's attic, Hearthstone Administrator Jane Thompson said.
     "About 20 minutes later the fire reached a level where it activated sprinkler systems," she said, "and that activated the fire alarm."
     The York Fire Department responded to the fire call at 2:02 a.m.
     "We had smoke showing through the roof when we arrived," York Fire Chief Kevin Stuhr said, "and fire broke through pretty quick after."
     With help from the Waco, Bradshaw, Benedict and McCool fire departments, York firefighters had the blaze under control and were able to leave at 5:48 a.m.
     Slaybaum and Trofholz awoke to nursing staff rushing about the building evacuating residents. The two were rousted from bed and moved to the building's entry-way for safety.
     "I could smell a lot of smoke and you could feel it coming real quick," Slaybaum said, describing the evacuation.
     No injuries - of residents, staff or firefighters - were reported. Stuhr credited the success of the evacuation to the building's sprinkler system and quick work by the staff.
     "Fortunately, the sprinkler system held it (the fire) in check," Stuhr said. "It prevented the fire from moving across the attic.
     "The nursing home staff and law enforcement were basically the ones that did the evacuation of the residents and they did a fantastic job."
     "It went extremely well," Thompson agreed. "They (the staff) remained very calm and collected throughout the whole process. They also had excellent support from the fire department and law enforcement officers."
     The Hearthstone staff diligently practices monthly fire drills, Thompson said.
     Trofholz saw the preparation pay off firsthand.
     "They just worked like a well-oiled machine," she said. "I couldn't find a flaw. None of the girls were hurt and none of us were hurt."
     All 56 residents in the wing struck by lightning were relocated to other area care centers. Sundermann, with 20, currently houses the most. Other residents are staying temporarily in Friend, Stromsburg, Fairmont, Geneva, Utica and Aurora. One resident who was hospitalized in Lincoln at the time of the fire will be returning to Exeter.
     No one is sure yet when residents will be able to return to York, leaving many feeling as if their lives are in limbo.
     "We've heard everything," Slaybaum said of the time-line of their return to York. She said rumors range from a matter of days to as long as three months.
     "We're hoping to be able to relocate some back at the end of next week," Thompson said on June 30. "We don't have a definite OK yet from the state fire marshal."
     Residents arrived in Seward with few, if any, personal possessions, making their wait all the more trying.
     "We have relocated those (possessions) to a storage building that our organization owns," Thompson said.
     Despite the inconveniences, however, Trofholz and Slaybaum are making the best of their situation in Seward, and are happy to have much of their Hearthstone community in one area at Sundermann.
     "We were fortunate to be able to house all these 20 residents on one wing over here," Sundermann Administrator Alex Snavely said. "That wing was not being used at the moment."
     "The people at the Sundermann Home have been extremely welcoming and gracious," Thompson said. "Our staff and residents have had a very positive experience and we appreciate all they're doing."
     In addition to sharing the same wing, the York transplants are also being cared for by the Hearthstone nursing staff at Sundermann, taking strain off the Sundermann staff and providing residents with the familiar faces and care to which they are accustomed.
     The Hearthstone resident dog, Chloe, even paid the Sundermann Home a visit June 28, much to the delight of the displaced residents.
     "We didn't have any treats for her, though," Trofholz lamented.